Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni removes son as commander

Lt. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who leads Uganda's army's land forces, looks at during his birthday party in Entebbe, Uganda on May 7, 2022. The military said on Tuesday that the ABUBAKER LUBOWA REUTERS President Yoweri Museveni has removed his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as commander of Uganda's land forces after Kainerugaba repeatedly threatened to invade neighboring Kenya.

Kainerugaba, widely regarded as the de facto head of the military and his father's chosen successor, later said the comments were made in jest.

In a statement on his replacement as a land forces commander, the military said Kainerugaba had been promoted from lieutenant general to full general and would remain a senior presidential adviser for special operations. It gave no reason for the decision.

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Kainerugaba is outspoken on social media, often trading barbs with opposition figures and weighing into politics despite his military role barring him from doing so.

On Monday and Tuesday he sent a series of provocative messages on Twitter, including proposing the unification of Kenya and Uganda, and offering cows to marry Italy's likely next leader.

Kainerugaba wrote that it wouldn't take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi.

The union is a must! There are no honourable men who can't allow these artificial, colonial borders anymore. If our generation has men, these borders must fall! Uganda's ministry of foreign affairs pledged its peaceful co-existence with neighbouring Kenya, even though it did not make any direct reference to Kainerugaba.

A Kenyan government spokesman said he had not read Uganda's statement and would respond later.

Kainerugaba retweeted a series of congratulatory messages, including several saying he should stand for president in the next election, after the military issued its statement on Tuesday.

We are going to have a celebration down Kampala Road for this rank. I thank my father for this great honor! Kainerugaba tweeted.

Ugandan analysts and opposition leaders have accused the 78-year-old Museveni of grooming his son to take over from him, but Museveni, who has been in power for 36 years, has denied doing so repeatedly.

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On Monday, Kainerugaba asked his more than 600,000 Twitter followers how many cows could be offered as a bride price for Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing politician who is expected to be Italy's prime minister this month.

I would give her 100 Nkore cows immediately! He wrote.

Francesco Lollobrigida, a close aide to Meloni, told reporters Kainerugaba's offer was not a serious topic.